The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-02-13

L 4 ~. r
fea+u roo of Mormonism are a belief IN
continuous revelation, a conformity OF
belief and practice resulting from this
doctrine, and absolute non-lnterference
with Others in the exercise of their free
dom, Nor can it, be ilegltlmately
urged that while revelation from God
would be tolerated because TRUE, that
Mormon revelation is to be inhibited
because false. And this is so, because
it does not pertain to any part OF the
people to say what is false IN doctrine
or what is true; actions alone are to be
the objects of punishment, and it would
be indeed par doxical to punish an
act because its source was deePed to
be bad, and reward the same act when
its origin was thought to be orthodox
that would be to. punish the source
and not the act. BY similar rule, we
would fine and imprison the burglar
for saving drowning boy, while we
would decorate the Sunday school
teacher for the same act.
The point will no doubt be raised
that it is polygamy that makes Nor
monism unworthy of a home in the
United States. But it is favorite say
ing of the Liberals that Mormon mar
rage is not the chief offense OF Nor
monism; it is church and state" or,
in other words, the exercise of the IN
doubted right to be united on questions
of material interest as well as upon
those of spiritual concern. This cry
means no more; there is no law on the
Utah statute book granting to Mormons
more privileges than are granted
to Gentiles; Mormons have ever
been the oppressed rather than the OPP
pressors; it is because they vote to-
getheF, and are in majority that they
are sought to be despoiled and disfran-
chised.' And concerning polygamy it
may be suggested that there are great
numbers of intelligent people in the
United States who regard it not as i'm
moral but as unpoftic.
The anology between the reception Of
an admit eddy true revelation and Nor.
monisn, would be:quite as exact, as be-
tween the unity that would follow both.
The revelation would be denoninated
king this or that; unity would be char
acteriEed as slavery, and the people
would be called slaves and dupes, des-
pite the utter Inconsistency of attempt
lug to be at once good Saints and good
devils; and the church would be inces
sanity blasphemed as reasonable, be-
cause it dared to raise God higher than
the Revised Statutes. And here it is
pertinent to remark that the assertion
that Mormonism is government with
in the United States, which Mormons
reasonably esteem higher than the Uni
ted States government, is most false
and malicious misrepresentation. If
people. who have permitted themselves
to be duped by this false cry, would
stop to think for moment, they would
see the sophistry of the comparison,
which lies in the confoundingeo of the
terms government and church, Govern
ment. The DEGREES of the United States
government are enforced by the i'm
p )sition of penalties; the murderer is
hanged. the thief is imprisoned
the wrong-doer is compelled TO
make restitution; the tenets of Nor
monism are rejected at the pleasure of
the individual, and no punishment save
and the forfeiture of the
complete friendship of the people is i'm
posed. Every American sect has its gov
every Mason, his chief lodge;
every man, this or that tie, which gov
arns and regulates his actions in some
sense or degree, and as well might it be
that all are reasonable, as
hat the Mormon is. The fact remains
that by the Mormon, the United States
government is beloved above all others,
t is regarded by him as the effect of in
'piration from God. He is momentariIy
opposed to one OF its laws, but he re-
cards this not as the effect Of Constitu-
'ional government, but as the perver-
ion of it; it lessons his respect for Con
but not for the Constitution.
A few weeks since, the Tribune said
hat one of the main objections to Nor
nonism is its belief in continuous re-
because sucha belief led to I'M
certainty of action in the future; such I
IN objection is equally valid to true
'evelation and to false one, and en-
,hasizes the fact that in this Territory |
he contest is between God and the Lib. |
rails.
WE TRUST that nobody will be so |
in politeness as to refer to the
newspaper interviews with the Loyal |
League know-alls, officials, lobbyists
and hiph DrivateS who have cOpa hook